Churros, pronounced tsurro in Spanish, is a traditional Spanish dish now increasingly well-known by the Indonesian people. Behind its savory and crunchy taste, this snack can be found in specialty shops or supermarkets, or it can also be made at home. How is it halal?
More typical foods from abroad are circulating and quite popular in Indonesia. Apart from food from Japan, Korea or China, there is another typical food from abroad that culinary lovers in Indonesia are hunting. One is churros, a dry and crunchy donut cake from Matadors, Spain.
In its country of origin, churros are often enjoyed as street snacks or as a substitute for breakfast. As GridKids.id reported, churros are usually enjoyed with thick hot chocolate or served with typical Spanish coffee mixed with hot milk, namely cafe con leche.
The Long History of Churros
Although believed to have originated from Spain, until now, there has been no definite historical source about the origin or history of this churros culinary. Some say that churros were inspired by you tiao or cakwe from China.
The story of churros associated with cakwe from China is based on the story of Portuguese sailors who discovered that there was a food called you tiao or cakwe in Indonesia in northern China. The Portuguese sailors were interested in this food and brought it home to their country. The Spanish then learned to make tiao from the Portuguese and then modified the recipe to give rise to the name churros. The name churros is taken from the dough that uses a mold with a star-like tip. This is the shape of churros that is familiar to us today.
Another version also says that the word churro comes from the name of the goats they herded, namely Navajo-Churro. This is because the sheep’s horns are similar to the shape of the churros we know today. At that time, churros were considered a practical provision for shepherds who wanted to avoid buying bread as provisions. Churros can be a substitute for bread because the ingredients and the process of making them are easy; you only need to fry the prepared dough.
Initially, churros were made from simple ingredients: flour dough, water and salt. Along with the development of the times, modern society adds churros dough with eggs, butter and other ingredients to add flavor and texture.
In addition to being known in Portugal and Spain, the chorus is popular in several countries, with its variations of presentation. Ayu Ma’as in her review on kids.grid.id explained that in various Asian countries, churros are served with a sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon. Another presentation of churros in Brazil is usually enjoyed with caramel sauce. In Cuba, churros are typically made with fruit filling; in Nicaragua, they are filled with cream cheese.
In Indonesia, apart from being sold in supermarkets and in several Latin American or European specialty restaurants called churrerias, churros can also be purchased at online stores. In addition, this food can also be made at home. According to culinary lover Fitri Sasmaya on her blog account @fitrisasmaya, churros are suitable as a side dish with tea or coffee in the morning or afternoon. “It’s very easy to make,” he said.
To make churros that suit the Indonesian palate, at least various ingredients are needed, including flour, butter, cooking oil, granulated sugar, salt, eggs, cinnamon and powdered sugar. It is also relatively easy, similar to making donuts or cakwe by making the dough and then frying it. At the same time, the topping or mixture can be anything, according to taste. It can be thick chocolate or powdered sugar.
How is the Halalness of Churros?
Regarding halalness, LPPOM MUI Auditor Naomi Carissa Intaqta explained that although ingredients do not involve animal elements such as fat or meat, consumers must still be careful when consuming churros. Moreover, if the food is purchased at supermarkets, restaurants or online stores.
“This caution is necessary because we do not know what ingredients are used, and how the manufacturing process is. It could involve raw materials or additional ingredients that are not halal,” he said.
Naomi explained that churros ingredients consist of flour, sugar, butter, cooking oil, and cinnamon. The raw materials used are relatively safe from a halal perspective because they come from plants, and butter comes from milk.
Meanwhile, the additional ingredients and auxiliary materials can come from animal derivatives and complex materials such as enzymes for the sugar hydrolysis process, activated carbon in the cooking oil refining process, vitamin fortification in flour, and the possibility of using other critical materials.
Consumers must remain careful with the increasing creativity of additional variations in churros processing. For example, Churros served in Latin American or European restaurants may be added with pork fat or rum flavor as part of the ingredients. This is clearly haram. Therefore, Naomi advised that to enjoy churros, you must ensure that the dish you want to enjoy is guaranteed halal. Another option is to make your churros with ingredients that are, of course, halal. (***)
